| # | Year | Total M7+ | Largest | Strongest event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 | 24 | M8.8 | 2010 Maule, Chile Earthquake |
| 2 | 2011 | 20 | M9.1 | 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan |
| 3 | 1995 | 20 | M8.0 | 1995 Colima-Jalisco, Mexico Earthquake |
| 4 | 1968 | 20 | M8.2 | 1968 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake |
| 5 | 2023 | 19 | M7.8 | Pazarcik earthquake, Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence |
| 6 | 2021 | 19 | M8.2 | 2021 Chignik, Alaska Earthquake |
| 7 | 2015 | 19 | M8.3 | 48 km W of Illapel, Chile |
| 8 | 2013 | 19 | M8.3 | 2013 Sea of Okhotsk Earthquake |
| 9 | 1957 | 19 | M8.6 | 1957 Atka, Alaska Earthquake |
| 10 | 2007 | 18 | M8.4 | 122 km SW of Bengkulu, Indonesia |
| 11 | 1999 | 18 | M7.7 | 21 km S of Puli, Taiwan |
| 12 | 1990 | 18 | M7.8 | 75 km NNW of Gorontalo, Indonesia |
| 13 | 2018 | 17 | M8.2 | 2018 Fiji Earthquake |
| 14 | 2009 | 17 | M8.1 | 2009 Samoa Earthquake |
| 15 | 1991 | 17 | M7.6 | 248 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia |
| 16 | 1970 | 17 | M8.0 | 95 km N of San Antonio del Estrecho, Peru |
| 17 | 1963 | 17 | M8.5 | 1963 Kuril Islands Earthquake |
| 18 | 2025 | 16 | M8.8 | 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Earthquake |
| 19 | 2016 | 16 | M7.9 | 140 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
| 20 | 2012 | 16 | M8.6 | 2012 Wharton Basin Earthquake |
| 21 | 2004 | 16 | M9.1 | 2004 Sumatra - Andaman Islands Earthquake |
| 22 | 1997 | 16 | M7.8 | 156 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia |
| 23 | 2003 | 15 | M8.2 | 2003 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake |
| 24 | 2001 | 15 | M8.4 | 6 km SSW of Atico, Peru |
| 25 | 2000 | 15 | M8.0 | 2000 New Ireland Earthquake |
Top 25 years by number of M7.0+ earthquakes. 997 major quakes recorded in total since 1950. Source: USGS Earthquake Catalog, refreshed daily. The current year is still in progress.
Do earthquakes come in waves?
Roughly 10-20 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes happen worldwide in a typical year. Big years aren't a sign the planet is "waking up" - they usually reflect one or two giant earthquakes (like Chile 2010 or Japan 2011) whose aftershock sequences push many M7+ events into the same 12 months. The long-run rate has stayed remarkably steady.
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